Inter-war years

When the war ended, Hardman left the military for further study at Oxford, but rejoined the RAF in 1921. He was granted a short service commission as a Flying Officer and posted to No. 31 Squadron in India.[2] Gaining his permanent commission in 1925,[3] he was promoted to Flight Lieutenant in 1927.[4] Hardman served as both pilot and armament officer with various units in the late 1920s and early 1930s, and completed courses at both Army and Air Force staff colleges.[2] He married Dorothy Thompson in 1930; the couple had two sons and a daughter.[5] A member of No. 216 Squadron from 1931 to 1935,[2] Hardman was promoted Squadron Leader in February 1936,[6] and Wing Commander in January 1939.[2]

Post-war career

Air Marshal Hardman (left) as RAAF Chief of the Air Staff, with Air Vice Marshal John McCauley, viewing a parade by No. 78 Wing shortly before its departure for garrison duties in Malta, July 1952

Hardman was promoted to acting Air Vice Marshal on 1 October 1945.[14] He remained in South-East Asia following the end of World War II, taking over as Air Officer in Charge of Administration for ACSEA in January 1946. He served in a number of senior posts in the RAF after his return to Britain including Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Operations) in 1947–1949, Commandant of RAF Staff College, Bracknell, in 1949–1951 and Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Home Command in 1951–1952.[10] Hardman's wartime rank of Air Commodore became substantive in October 1946,[15] followed by substantive promotion to Air Vice Marshal in July 1948,[16] and acting Air Marshal in October 1951.[17]

In January 1952, Hardman was appointed Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) of the Royal Australian Air Force, succeeding Air Marshal George Jones, whose ten years in the position was the longest continuous term of any RAAF chief. The decision by Australian Prime MinisterRobert Menzies to appoint an RAF officer caused resentment in the Air Force, compounded when he stated his reason as being that there was "no RAAF officer of sufficient age, or operation experience, to take the post of Chief of the Air Staff", ignoring the wartime records of such figures as John McCauley and Frederick Scherger. The Daily Mirror in Sydney was one of a number of media outlets to voice a "stern protest" over the matter. RAF CAS Sir John Slessor, responsible for fulfilling the Australian Government's request for a suitable officer, considered Hardman the "outstanding candidate" for the Australian post, trying to avoid what he called "the follies of some years ago", referring to Air Chief MarshalSir Charles Burnett's controversial tenure as CAS on secondment from Britain in the early years of World War II.[18]

Air Marshal Hardman (left) as RAF Air Member for Supply and Organisation, with Air Marshal Sir Claude Pelly (centre), and Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten (right) at a ceremonial parade for No. 78 Wing RAAF on its departure from garrison duty on Malta, 1954

Hardman changed the structure of the Air Force from one based on geographical area to one based on function, creating Home (operational), Maintenance (support), and Training Commands.[19] The functional system of command has been described by historian Alan Stephens as Hardman's "major legacy to the RAAF".[18] While doing away with Jones' area command system, Hardman carried on his predecessor's support for the local aircraft industry.[20] He also formed a policy agreement with NavyChief of StaffVice AdmiralSir John Collins, covering joint responsibility and cooperation for maritime warfare.[21] Under Hardman's tenure, No. 78 Fighter Wing was reformed and deployed to Malta on garrison duty.[22] He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the Queen's Birthday Honours of June 1952,[23] and raised to substantive Air Marshal the following month.[24] Towards the end of his term, he gave an interview in which he criticised Army and Navy operations against a background of continuing interservice rivalry for the defence budget.[25] In contrast to the initial disquiet at his appointment, however, upon his departure from Australia Hardman was described by The Age as "the outstanding CAS in the RAAF's history" and a "brilliant organiser".[18]

Hardman served on the British Air Council as Air Member for Supply and Organisation from 1954 to 1958, gaining promotion to Air Chief Marshal on 1 April 1955.[2] On 11 July 1956, he presented a Squadron Standard to his old unit, No. 19 Squadron.[26] That October, he presided over the inquiry into the fatal crash of Avro VulcanXA897 at Heathrow Airport after its maiden round-the-world flight, the only survivors being the pilot and Air Marshal Sir Harry Broadhurst. Hardman was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire on 1 January 1958, and retired from the RAF later that month.[2] He died in 1982 while taking an overseas holiday.[5]